Psychological Issues
Like any other chronic illness, living with diabetes does increase the vulnerability for emotional and psychological distress. Don’t ignore these feelings, as they will eventually impair your successful coping with T1D. We will give you a brief insight on the psychological problems that you may develop, and how to deal with them.
Low mood, sadness and depression
Eating disorders
Anxiety disorders
Low mood, sadness and depression
It is important to understand that that low mood or sadness that all of us experience is not depression per se. Depression is a psychiatric term used for persistent and pervasive sadness of mood, marked by loss of interest in activities, lack of energy, changes in appetite and sleep, feeling of guilt, worthlessness and hopelessness and/or recurring thoughts of suicide. Blue colour heading : To be diagnosed as depression, the person must have been experiencing following symptoms for at least two weeks, almost all day and every day:
Type 1 Diabetes is a chronic illness and can affect our mood, cause stress and may even lead to burnout. However, we must keep in mind that experiencing burnout is not equal to having depression. Yes, there is definitely higher vulnerability to depression in children diagnosed with T1D, however it requires a formal diagnoses. Diabetes is not only about counting carbs, monitoring blood sugar, injecting insulin; it is much more than that, which involves a psychological toll. No matter how vigilant you are, you might do something wrong or miss something that might lead to feelings of guilt and even hopelessness. 
Prevention
ManagementConsult your doctor who will refer you to a mental health specialist, if there is a need. There are medicines as well as specialized counseling therapies available, that can help you tremendously. |
Eating disorders
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Some children with T1D may develop eating disorders associated with disturbances of body image. Eating disorders usually start in adolescence, and are much more common in females than males. They include anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa and binge eating. Some adolescents try not using insulin as a method of losing weight. Parents must be aware of this, as this increases the risk of hyperglycemia and long term diabetic complications. 
Anorexia Nervosa 
Bulimia Nervosa 
Bulimia Nervosa 
Treatment
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Irritability and aggression
Irritability and aggression are common behavioral symptoms seen in children and adolescents with type 1 diabetes
Irritability is a feeling of feeling agitated and annoyed easily. However, it becomes a problem when this feeling is experienced excessively, in almost every situation with almost everyone. It involves both mood as well as behavior, i.e. annoyance or frustration together with anger outburst. Irritability is highly linked to anxiety and depression.
There are many reasons due to which a person feels irritable. They could be psychological reasons like stress, anxiety, depression or physical reasons like sleep deprivation, low blood sugar level, diabetes, headache, etc.
If your child feels irritable most of the day, every day, it is advised to consult your psychologist. S/he can help identify the cause and work accordingly with the child, and his environment. There might be changes required in child’s lifestyle like sleep cycle, daily activities and a need to identify stressors in the environment.
Doctor’s consultation is required to check for any hormonal imbalance or infection or any medical condition that may cause increased irritability in the child.
Lifestyle changes include
- Healthy balanced diet
- Exercise routine
- Sleeping habits
- Stress management/ adaptive coping strategies
Aggression refers to a range of behaviors that can result in both physical as well as psychological harm to you or to others. Aggression in children can manifest in many ways like hitting, biting, temper tantrums, stubbornness or disobedience. On the other hand, aggression itself could also be a manifestation of underlying depression. Being hungry or having low blood sugar makes an individual cranky and hostile.
Tips
- Have an open and positive relationship with your child, where there is space for expression and acknowledgement. If your child does something you don’t approve of, or misbehaves, it is important to ask him the reason and space where he can explain himself. Your own reactions would eventually guide your child’s behavior. Spending quality time with your child is considered a great initiative for building a trusting and positive relationship.
- Set rules and goals for your child keeping in mind his mental, cognitive, physical capacity and his age. Do not over impose. Have realistic expectations from your child.
- Do not take everything your child says or does personally. They have no intention to make you feel sad, but it’s their way of reacting to internal/ external cues.
- Observe and note the situations in which the child is expressing aggression. This would help you understand the child’s behavior better and manage that situation. Also, it would help you predict the child’s behavior in future.
- Anger management techniques for adolescents – deep breathing, drinking water, delaying your reaction, counting backwards, moving away from the place, distracting and calming yourself by reading a book, listening to your favourite music, etc